We’ve Come A Long Way Baby … But We Still Have A Long Way To Go!

This is personal for me. As I watched the first African American woman’s nomination to the Supreme Court and the subsequent hearings, I could relate to what Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was going through. Nearly every woman, person of color or other that wants to be represented at the proverbial “table” can understand her experience, feel her experience, as she sat at that table being judged about whether she “belongs” there. Judge Brown was experiencing what we are all too familiar with—her skills and education questioned, her abilities and experience suspected.

But she still persevered... As we all have been trained to do...

As a woman and a person of color, I know the glass can be half full of opportunity and half empty with others’ biases and fears. Only when we shine a light and meet those biases and fears head-on, have allies that call them out as unacceptable and demand we have a seat at the table, will we see true change. When this becomes the norm, someone watching a similar moment like Judge Brown’s will be comfortable knowing they can be seated without question, and it won’t have to be labeled “Historic.”

This month let’s elevate awareness of the talent, creativity, and business acumen of women and reemphasize our dedication to equitable representation. Thank you, March, for bringing not only the first sights of Spring but Women’s History Month because honors are consistently due to all women and allies who, as I intonate, “Work in Excellence!” 

Minority Women-owned Businesses 

Devika Singh, Chicago United’s Research & Evaluation Fellow, has assessed the economic contributions of minority women-owned businesses in the United States. Her findings reveal the power of these businesses and the work remaining to achieve a more equitable landscape:

• The average size of loans received by businesswomen in the U.S. is $5,000 lower than the average loan size received by businessmen. These numbers are substantially lower for businesses owned by women of color.
• Of the 11.6 million women-owned firms, ~64% were started by women of color in 2019. 
• 5.4 million firms are majority-owned by women of color in the U.S. 
• These firms employ 2.1 million people and generate $361 billion in revenues annually.